NCAA warns airlines against flight delays, cancellations

The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, has told airlines to always adjust their schedule whenever they have reduction of aircraft in their fleet on account of maintenance or for any other reason, to avoid flight delays and cancellations.

Demuren told the airline operators and other stakeholders at an emergency meeting over the prevailing flight delays and cancellations and the attendant safety and security implications that NCAA would soon come up with a sanction regime on flight delays and cancellations.

The meeting which was held on Friday in Lagos had in attendance were the Murtala Mohammed Airport Military Commandant; the Airport Police Commissioner; and the Director of State Security Service among others.

“The meeting presided over by Dr Demuren for hours deliberated on a wide range issues that may be responsible for the incessant flight delays and cancellations and accordingly proffered possible solutions for immediate adoption,” a statement from the agency said.

Some of the identified issues were aviation fuel, weather, safety, push back time, and ongoing renovation works at some major airports in the country.

The DG directed that no flight should be cleared to operate from Lagos to Abuja after 9.00pm till June 30.

Renovation work at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja will last till June.